If you read my Everyone's Waiting story send me ideas please and thank you!
I get home at ten with Dr. D. Nico was going into his late night surgery when I left, and while it wasn't the best note to leave on, we had to go.
"Be quiet, don't wake the others, and get straight to bed." Dr. D instructs the moment we walk in the house.
"Yes sir." I sigh heading to my room. Only when I walk down the hall, I see Leo standing outside my room.
"You don't want to go in there." He whispers, "But you do want to come with me." I can see his smile through the darkness.
"Let's go then." I smile back. He takes me into Jason and Percy's empty room. Which I realize is probably why I don't want to go into my own room, "What's up?" I ask laying out on the well made bed. I shiver internally, noticing the lingering scent of Jason on the pillow, even though he hasn't slept here in half a month. The messy bed must be Percy's no surprise there.
"I need girl advice." He plops down next to me.
"So do I." I laugh.
"Don't play this is serious Leo time." He still smiles at me.
"Oh please serious Leo doesn't exist." I poke his side.
"He does too. And he wants, nay, needs your help."
"Shoot."
"So, I think I'm crushing on Calypso pretty seriously."
"Alright."
"How do I get her to kiss me?"
"I don't know. She just asked me."
"For real?"
"Yeah, she's into that."
"Huh, good to know. Thing is she's into Percy, Jason, Frank, pretty much anyone who's not The Leo."
"The Leo." I repeat.
"She gets all swoony over the others. But we just get at each other."
"How do you mean?"
"We're like... Rude?"
"To each other."
"Yes."
"Okay, so here's what you do. Try to see if she's mad because she hates you or if she's teasing you."
"How do I figure that out?"
"You realize you are allowed to speak to her right?"
"Oh my fucking god I had no clue." He slaps my thigh.
"Hey!"
"Do me a solid and ask for me please, please, please."
"Fine, I'll ask."
"Piper you're bae."
"Thanks." I smirk at him. "You're pretty hot yourself, fever boy."
He snorts, "Whatever heart freak."
"Loser."
"Takes one to know one."
We laugh at our own stupid jokes until I say, "You're my favorite."
"For real?" He chuckles.
"Yeah, you're always laughing, I like laughing."
"You sounded so dumb just now."
"You sound dumb all the time."
"True." He nods, "Piper did you get Jason's D yet?"
"Leo!"
"What it's a valid question." He laughs, "You know, I had the biggest crush on you when you first got here."
"No way."
"Yeah." He chuckles, "But A Jason's actually still trying to pick his face off the floor he fell so hard for you. B you and I have the same problem, so we'd never have worked out."
"The same problem?"
"Commitment issues."
"I do not have commitment issues."
"Yes you do."
"I do not."
"It's okay we have the same issue." He sits up, "We're afraid of staying in one place too long, of making connections. Having roots."
"No, I'm afraid of hurting people."
"And I'm afraid of being hurt."
I sit up too, "Leo?"
"Look, I've done some things I'm not very proud of. I run away and I hide. I don't like that about myself, and I'm willing to bet you don't like it either."
"What happened to you?"
"I... I was kidnapped, I was four years old and my baby sitter just took me one day. I got away from her but I was on the run for awhile. Soon enough I found myself stealing, breaking and entering, stuff like that. When I got back to my mom, she and my dad finally got married. I felt... Out of place. I don't know."
I look at him and he looks at me. I lean on his shoulder as he says, "I'm still trying to stop running away."
"Not that this matters but You're really cuddly."
He laughs at that, "Well, at least I have that going for me."
"You do, you're all snuggly, and my brother."
"Twin brother?"
"Yes." I laugh, "You're my twin brother. And we're going to steal the moon."
"Aw fuck yeah!" We high five each other.
"Hey so, sleep?"
"Together?"
"A friendship bang?" I laugh.
"Down."
"Calypso would never date you after-... Actually she might." We laugh together until I say, "But for realzies, bed time."
"Kay." He says snuggling up with me under Jason's covers.
"You have your own bed." I shove him playfully.
"So?"
"This twin sized bed was not made for two teenagers to snuggle in."
"It's twin sized and we are twins."
"Shut up." And Leo doesn't go anywhere, he sleeps with me that night, and because of it, he wakes me up when he literally kicks me out of bed. One in the morning, great.
I walk to my room, hoping that Percy and Annabeth are asleep. When I get htere, I hear her crying.
"I'm scared." She mumbles.
"I know." He says.
"I love you."
"I love you too."
"If I don't make it-"
"Annabeth, please."
"I love you so much, and I'm so sorry."
"Please stop."
"Percy I'm not sure I want this surgery."
"Don't be stupid." Now he's crying too, "You need it."
"I know."
"And when you have it, you're going to live."
"I know."
"And we can finally sleep through the night my dear."
She chuckles, "I hope so."
They stop talking, I presume they start kissing. I hear mumbles of I love you's and heartfelt don't leave me's.
I sleep on the couch for the rest of the night, waking up at the literal crack of dawn. Only a dusky purple fills the sky. Some source of energy pushes me out the back door to watch the sunrise. I remember the words shared between Annabeth and Percy. I think about how he's lying to her, and why. As the sky turns sliver, not even blue just yet, I remember that today is my birthday. I made it to sixteen! A smile breaks on my face as the sun breaks through the darkness.
I realize that I'm not allowed to celebrate. That today Annabeth's having surgery, Nico is out of surgery, and the others are feeling the tension of the real world. Secretly in the silence of my heart I congratulate myself on making this far. The veil of my happiness is masked as I walk into the house and back to my room. It's empty when I get there, for some reason my bed is a mess and not in the same place I'd had it.
I shrug it off pulling clothes out of my dresser. I take the fastest shower of my life, and head to the dinning room. Everyone else is already there, much to my surprise, I mean, it's only eight o'clock. We're never punctual.
Frank and Hazel's chairs are noticeably closer, they're kissing, and don't bother to acknowledge me. Percy isn't eating, he's staring at the food on the table. Calypso is holding hand, leaning her head onto his shoulder, I guess she's trying to comfort him. But Leo looks pissed about it.
"Morning people." I smile softly taking a seat beside Leo. Silence is my only greeting, "Wow, breakfast looks great."
Hazel and Frank keep kissing, as Leo says, "Tastes like cardboard."
"Alright then..." Happy birthday to me.
Chiron walks into the dinning room. Percy looks up, "How is everything?"
"Nico is awake, and Annabeth's surgery began twenty minutes ago." He says, "We'll be leaving at nine for the hospital so make sure you all are ready by then. Who's coming home with Jason?"
No one volunteers before the doorbell rings. "One second." Chiron sighs walking to the front door.
"So who's going to go home with Jason?" I ask.
"Not me." Leo says.
"What a jackass." Calypso sighs squeezing Percy's hand.
"Frank, Hazel." I snap my fingers to get their attention.
Hazel blushes when she faces me, "Sorry, sure we'll- oh my god."
I turn to where she's looking, standing in the doorway with Chiron is my dad.
The most childish grin sweeps across my face.
"Dad!" I jump out of my seat and ram into his arms.
"Hiya princess." He kisses the top of my head, "Happy birthday."
"Today's her birthday?" Of all people, Chiron asks.
My dad turns to him, "You didn't know that?"
"I'm sure I did, I just haven't thought of it."
"How old are you?" Leo asks.
"Sixteen." I answer him. They look confused and a bit in awe, probably because my world famous actor of a father is calling me princess and I've gone all girly. Or because I have a world famous actor for a father.
"Happy birthday." Frank says. The others following in the most unenthusiastic happy birthday chorus I've ever heard.
"I wanted to know if I could take her with me. I have a few things planned."
"Oh of course, go right ahead. Just make sure she takes her medication and call me if she has any problems." Chiron is acting pretty weird, and I don't know why.
"Great, you wanna grab some shoes and meet me in the car?"
"Yeah, thanks daddy." I get back to my room, grab my phone and throw on some shoes. "Bye guys." I call into the dinning room as I run out to the car.
"Dr. Brunner gave me your medication." He says.
"Who?" I ask.
"Dr. Brunner. The psychologist you live with?"
"Oh... That's his last name?"
My dad cackles, "Yeah Pipes. That's his name."
"Whoops." I laugh with him as we back out of the drive way.
"So, I've got the whole day off, no work until midnight."
"Late night shoot?"
He nods, "But I have some good news. After October I'm taking the rest of the year off."
"Really?" I smile, he hasn't taken a break from working, much longer than a week, probably ever. I know why of course, I won't make it to the end of this year and he knows it. We both do. But it's still incredibly sweet.
"My agent gave me a hard time for it, but I convinced him."
"That's great dad."
He nods, "How've you been?"
"Okay." I say.
"I have a few surprises for you."
"I hate surprises." I wrinkle my nose teasingly.
"They're good surprises." He assures me.
"So we're headed to surprise number one?" I ask.
"Yes ma'am."
"Perfect." I chuckle.
"Hey, so you know how your Aunt Careen is pregnant?"
"No!" I gasp. My Aunt Careen is my favorite aunt, "Since when?"
"Since Halloween, or at least that's when she told me."
"No way!"
"Yes way, and she found out she's having a girl."
"I'm finally going to have a girl cousin?" I laugh.
"You have Tammy and Isobel."
"Tammy prefers to be called Timmy, dad. And Isobel is rude."
He laughs, "Isobel is ten years old give her a break."
"Did they name the baby yet?"
"Yes they did. Jacquelyn Piper Reyes."
"I have a baby named after me." I clasp my hand over my mouth as I bounce in my seat.
"Well not yet. In a month you'll have a baby named after you." He smiles at my reaction, "Your Aunt's been wanting to talk to you about it but I told her you've been busy."
By the way, the rest of my family doesn't know I'm sick. Just a heads up.
"Baby will be here before the family reunion."
"Yup. I'm willing to bet money that baby is going to hate Uncle Stanley."
"What baby doesn't hate him?"
"You didn't. You thought he was Santa Claus."
"But now his bread is gross and probably has an STD of some kind."
"Piper!" He laughs.
"Not sorry." He rolls his eyes at me, "So... Did you tell them I'm not going to the reunion?"
He shakes his head, "Not yet."
"Oh..."
"I just, haven't been able to bring myself to tell them."
"I get it."
"I'll tell them. I promise."
"It's cool." I look out the window, "But I'm getting a baby named after me."
"Yeah you are." He snickers pulling into a bowling ally parking lot.
"Bowling?" I ask with a snort.
"I will beat you at bowling one of these days. Today might just be that day." He winks at me as we climb out of the car. Five games, two slurpies, and an order of cheese fries later, we call it a draw as my dad has my next surprise waiting.
The bowling ally has been a pretty fair choice considering it's a Wednesday morning and the only people who don't work here are a bunch of old people on 'Team Razzle Dazzle'. We aren't bothered until we try to leave, when the workers ask for a photo op. I allow my dad ten minutes of picture taking before we head back out on the road.
"Onto surprise number two." He says.
"Oh boy." I roll my eyes.
"Tell me about your friends."
"That's direct." I chuckle.
"Well, I want to know. I don't think I've ever asked you about them."
I tell him all about Frank, Hazel, Leo, Calypso (He gets a kick out of her wanting to kiss me), Percy, Annabeth, Nico, and Jason. He listens attentively asking only a few questions until we get to our destination.
"Why are we at a donut shop?"
"Because your cake is made out of donuts." He says nonchalantly climbing out of the car. My dad knows me better then you'd think.
"Thanks daddy." I chuckle following him inside.
Two more quick stops, one to a coffee shop and one to a toy store (he came out with a teddy bear bigger then I am.). He drives me home, "You ready for the biggest surprise?"
"No. I hate surprises." I tell him again, smiling as we get out of the car. He grabs the teddy bear and the cake from the back seat.
"Go on inside." He tells me.
"Isn't the door locked?" I ask.
"Go see."
"Uhg." I roll my eyes heading up to the door. It is in fact, unlocked. I hesitate at the realization of, wow I haven't been in my home in six months. I push open the door when that wave of realization has run its course.
Walking in the door, my legs are attacked by little people, and by little people I mean my half sisters.
"Piper!" They squeak, "Happy birthday!"
Shocked, I hardly say anything at all, just a feeble, "Thank you." When I look up I see my mom, my step-dad who's holding Seth, and... I'm not sure who the other people are.
"Hi sweetheart." My mom smiles a feeble smile.
"Hi..." She walks up to me and hold me tightly to her chest.
"I'm so sorry." She says kissing my cheek, "Your father and I... We're trying, we are. We don't want to put you between us like that again."
"Making no promises we'll be any more than civil." My dad says walking through the door, "But we'll try."
I smile at both of them.
"Piper! Nana and Grandpa are here." Casey pulls at my jeans. I look up, realizing that the two people next to my step-dad are my grandparents. I've never had a grandma before...
"You're so grown up." My grandmother walks up to me, misty eyed as she crushes me to her chest, "And so beautiful, Don, didn't I tell you she was going to be gorgeous?"
"I told you she better not be or I'd lock her up in our house where no boys could get her." He smiles.
She swats her hand at him, "I told your mother before you were born, that you were going to be the most beautiful little baby ever. Your father is quiet the looker after all." She winks, "And I was right."
"You're always right mom." My mom rolls her eyes, Seth get's restless in my step-dad's arms as we all walk to the unused living room.
"Piper, you want to hold him?"
"Sure." I smile at the little baby. My dad walks in from the kitchen as we settle in the living room. Seth snuggling into my chest.
"I can't believe our granddaughter is sixteen." My grandma says to my grandpa. "And she's still so small. Always was, I still have one of the little handprints you made at day care, at two years old your hands were smaller than Seth's are now."
I smile as my grandma recounts stories of when I was little, my grandpa usually has something to add in as she talks to me. Apparently she always loved my dad, more then my step-dad which makes me laugh.
They know that I'm sick, they have a lot to say about health care too. I find it odd that my mom's family has found out I'm sick before my dad's family. That's weird right?
Well, whatever, I spend a good day with my family. My... She wants me to call her Nana but it's kind of weird. My Nana tells me, before I head over to the hospital, that she thinks my mom's biggest mistake was leaving me. And if I'm going to be wholly honest it's the first time I don't feel like my parents mistake.
Smiling the entire way over to the hospital, I arrive feeling out of place. The waiting room is a bit too empty for my liking. Only Leo and Hazel are there.
"Hey. Where are the others?" I ask sitting down beside them.
"Frank went home with Jason. Percy and Calypso are... I'm not sure where." Hazel says to me.
"Oh..."
"How was your birthday?" She asks.
"It was great." I tell her.
"I'm glad. You made it to sixteen."
"Yeah." I nod, "I've got to go to the bathroom, though. I'll be back."
"We'll be here."
I get up and find my way to the closest bathroom, the only problem is when I leave. I see Percy and Calypso talking around the corner. I can't hear exactly what they're saying. But I understand when she wraps her arms around his waist, he leans his forehead on hers. I feel a rising panic in my throat when she kisses him.
I feel like I can't breathe until he pulls away. He shakes his head at her, as she tries to touch his face. I do hear him shout at her to leave him alone before storming off. I don't want to know where he's going and I don't particularly want to mess with him.
So instead I walk up to Calypso. She gasps when she sees me, "Piper!"
"What was that?" I ask, feeling a bit (Okay maybe a lot) protective of both Percy and Annabeth.
She sighs, clearly frazzled, scared and upset, "Annabeth's surgery is taking longer then they thought. They said it's more difficult then they imagined. They said... We have to prepare ourselves for the worst. So I was trying to comfort him and-"
"Calypso... Ugh! Come here." I hug her shaking crying figure, "You can't just kiss people."
"I know." This is the dumbest thing I've ever had to do I swear.
"Then why did you?"
"I don't know." She cries softly.
"Look, it's going to be okay."
"Really?" She asks.
"Yes, everything is going to be just fine. You're going to stop crying." She nods wiping her eyes, "And we're going to have girl talk."
"I'd like that." She sniffles with a halfhearted smile.
"Okay, first of all, can we please sort out your love life?"
"Uhg, please." She sighs.
"Okay, I'm going to give you the answer."
"There's an answer?"
"Date Leo."
She's taken aback by my words, "Why?"
"Because he's crushing on you, bad, and if you need to be loved, which you do. You desperately need to be loved if you ask me. He will treat you like a queen and he's really good at cuddling."
Her expression softens, "You think so?"
"Yes, Calypso. He will teach you what it means to love a person and not how to love for the sake of it. Just kiss him okay?"
She nods as Chiron approaches, "Oh, Piper, you're here."
"Yup." I nod.
"Calypso your dialysis appointment?"
"Right." She nods, "See you later Piper." She heads off with him. I walk back to the waiting room, leaving Percy to himself.
"There you are." Hazel smiles at me.
"Come on." I gesture for them to stand up.
"Where are we going?" Leo asks.
"Um... I don't know, let's wander."
So we walk through the halls of the hospital looking determined so no one will stop us, until we reach the nursery. Hazel sighs softly walking up to window.
"And we're here." I whisper to Leo who snorts.
"Look at them." Hazel smiles at us as we meet up with her, "They're so cute."
"I like the chubby one." Leo says.
"Are you looking to buy?" I whisper
"I want all of them if that's the case." Hazel nudges me.
I smile at the gentle quiet that now hangs over us, "My aunt is naming her baby after me."
"That's so sweet." Hazel beams at me.
"Name your first born after me?" Leo asks.
"I'm never having kids."
"You should, they'd be cute. Little blonde babies."
"You mean have babies with Jason?"
"Yup." Hazel leans her head on my other shoulder.
I sigh, "Keep a secret?"
"Of course." Hazel says.
"Fire away." Leo straightens up.
As we stare at the infants I take a sharp breath, "I'm in love with Jason, and I don't know what to do about it."
"I get you." Leo takes my hand, "I love Calypso and I don't know why."
"Let's steal a baby and start a new life together." I smile at the two of them.
"Yes please." Hazel turns back to the babies.
"I think... Call me crazy, but I'm starting to realize we can't run away from things." We look both look at Leo, "I'm going to go kiss that enigma of a girl. And I suggest you consider doing the same."
"So do you get her first and then me?"
He laughs, "Sis, I love you, but I'm not sharing Calypso. I suggest you stop running away and start running toward, maybe not him, but something. You may find yourself surprised."
"I told her to kiss you, by the way."
"You're the man, Pipes." He says, "Any chance you know where she is?"
"Dialysis."
"Thanks, don't steal any babies without me." He taps my shoulder and walks away as I look back at the babies.
"He's right you know." Hazel tells me, "You can't keep running away."
"I know."
"And Jason's a really great guy."
"I know."
One of the babies looks right at me, deciding if she likes me or not.
"Hazel?" I ask.
"Yeah?"
"Were you ever afraid of dating Frank?"
"I still am."
"So, it's okay to be scared?"
She laughs, "Pipes, it's the only thing I know how to be. If it's not... may god help me."
The baby smiles at me before sticking her fist in her mouth. A baby smiling at a total stranger she'll never meet again. Its an incredible thing to be so innocent. I wonder what her parents are like. If she's the youngest or someone's first born. I hope her parents want her, that they'll love her more than the stars love the moon.
I wonder if I'll ever have the chance to love someone that much.. I smile back at the baby, Gillian, is what her name card says. I have the choice, I've always had the choice, to love someone like that. The problem is I'm not sure I know how to love like that.
"Hazel?"
"Yeah?"
"How do you love someone? Like... that?"
"I think that's the great thing about it, Pipes. You get to decide. And you love so many people, I'm sure you'll find a way." We smile at each other before we simultaneously pull each other into a hug. A giggly, girly, best friend kind of hug.
"Thanks, Hazel."
"Thanks, Pipes."
I will try to run toward love, and stop running away from trust. I will run toward tomorrow and stop running from the thought that I may not have tomorrow.
"I will run until I can't anymore." I say under my breath.
"Then I will too." Hazel pulls back from our hug, "Pinky swear." We lock pinkies. and shake with laughter.
The ride home is certainly odd. Calypso and Leo are holding hands. Percy is staring out the window, his eyes are dark with stress. Annabeth wasn't even close to being done with her surgery when we left. Hazel and I keep smiling at each other but we mostly keep to ourselves.
When we get home, Chiron leaves us be, wishing me a happy birthday before disappearing into his office. After a moment of hesitation, where I am left in the doorway because the others have better things to d then contemplate their next move, I walk to my room.
Percy is crying into Annabeth's pillow, but he looks up as I walk in.
"Sorry, Pipes-"
"Don't worry about it, I'm just grabbing so pjs." I tell him as I grab the first thing in my drawer.
"But where will you sleep?"
"In your room." I say.
"But Jason's in there."
"That's kind of the point." I head to the door.
His shock registers on his tearstained face, "Since when?" He asks in an accusing almost squeaky voice.
"Between the time I watched Calypso kiss you and the car ride home."
"You saw that?" His eyes bug out of his head.
"Don't worry, you walked away, like you were supposed to. And now Calypso is with Leo."
"Really?"
"Yup."
"I missed a lot... But you won't tell-"
"Not a soul." I promise, "She won't find out, I've got you."
He nods, "You think she'll make it?"
"Duh, she's Annabeth." I say with a smile, "Now get some sleep lover boy." I turn off the light and close the door behind me before changing in the bathroom. I walk into Percy and Jason's room. He's surprised that it's me to walk in, and not Percy, his surprise is absolutely darling.
"Hey." His shock melts into a genuine smiles, "Happy birthday."
I cant even say thank you, my mind tells me to run toward him, to stop running away. So Instead of a thank you I kiss him, he makes a sound of confusion and surprise behind my lips. I laugh a bit when I pull away.
"What?" He deadpans.
"I'm done running away."
His confusion softens, "From me?"
"From being alive." I say before kissing him again, his lips taste vaguely like melon and I don't know why. But his hands touch my face like I'm precious to this earth. I feel my whole body come alive with him here.
"You taste like donuts." He says when he pulls back.
"Is that a bad thing?"
"It's fantastic." I walk back to the door, closing it before flipping the light switch off.
"Mind if I sleep here?" I ask curling up beside him.
"Absolutely not." He pulls me under the covers kissing me again.
Jason and I fall asleep together, and he doesn't kick me out of the bed.